Film Snail

A Time to Kill
A Time to Kill

7.4

A Time to Kill

R·1996·149m

Summary

A young lawyer defends a black man accused of murdering two white men who raped his 10-year-old daughter, sparking a rebirth of the KKK.

Cast

Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey

Jake Brigance

Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock

Ellen Roark

Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson

Carl Lee Hailey

Kevin Spacey

Kevin Spacey

Rufus Buckley

Ashley Judd

Ashley Judd

Carla Brigance

Donald Sutherland

Donald Sutherland

Lucien Wilbanks

Oliver Platt

Oliver Platt

Harry Rex Vonner

Charles S. Dutton

Charles S. Dutton

Ozzie Walls

Brenda Fricker

Brenda Fricker

Ethel Twitty

Kiefer Sutherland

Kiefer Sutherland

Freddie Lee Cobb

Patrick McGoohan

Patrick McGoohan

Judge Omar Noose

Rae'Ven Larrymore Kelly

Rae'Ven Larrymore Kelly

Tonya Hailey

Tonea Stewart

Tonea Stewart

Gwen Hailey

John Diehl

John Diehl

Tim Nunley

Chris Cooper

Chris Cooper

Dwayne Looney

Nicky Katt

Nicky Katt

Billy Ray Cobb

Doug Hutchison

Doug Hutchison

Pete Willard

Kurtwood Smith

Kurtwood Smith

Stump Sisson

Tim Parati

Tim Parati

Winston

Beth Grant

Beth Grant

Cora Mae Cobb

Anthony Heald

Anthony Heald

Wilbert Rodeheaver

M. Emmet Walsh

M. Emmet Walsh

Willard Tyrell Bass (uncredited)

Octavia Spencer

Octavia Spencer

Roark's Nurse

Darrin Mitchell

Skip Hailey

LaConte McGrew

Slim Hailey

Devin Lloyd

Willie Hailey

Mark W. Johnson

Willie Hastings

Joe Seneca

Joe Seneca

Reverend Isaiah Street

Thomas Merdis

Reverend Ollie Agee

Alexandra Kyle

Alexandra Kyle

Hannah Brigance

Terry Loughlin

Terry Loughlin

Jury Foreman

Andy Stahl

Andy Stahl

Reluctant Male Juror

Joe Bullen

Joe Frank Perryman

Lorraine Middleton

Blonde Woman Juror

Graham Timbes

Graham Timbes

Male Juror

Jonathan Hadary

Jonathan Hadary

Norman Reinfield

Benjamin Mouton

Benjamin Mouton

Klan Bomber

Byron Jennings

Byron Jennings

Brent Musgrove

Patrick Sutton

Militant Teenager

Greg Lauren

Greg Lauren

Taylor

Danny Nelson

Danny Nelson

Bud Twitty

Mike Pniewski

Mike Pniewski

Deputy Tatum

Elizabeth Omilami

Elizabeth Omilami

Woman Angry at Klan

Lukas Cain

Looney's Son

Stacy Rae Toyon

Looney's Wife

Wayne Dehart

Wayne Dehart

Claude

Helen E. Floyd

Waitress at Claude's

David Brian Williams

Customer at Claude's

Rebecca Koon

Rebecca Koon

Dell

James M. Crumley Jr.

Guardsman Mackenvale

Jim Ritchie

Tom Hardy

Perry Ritchie

Sarah Hardy

Mike McLaren

Administrator at Whitfield

Tim Monich

Tim Monich

Reverend Fink

Leonard L. Thomas

Leonard L. Thomas

Man in Lumberyard

Brance H. Beamon

Noose's Butler

Mildred J. Gilbreath

Noose's Housekeeper

Will Crapps

Minister

David U. Hodges

Bailiff

Maggie Wade Dixon

T.V. Anchor

Russell Hambline

Old Man Bates

Robert Chapman

Young Fisherman

Robert R. Bell Jr.

Fisherman

Tommy McCullough

Old Fisherman

Ryk St. Vincent

Deputy

Bettina Rose

Evelyn

Linda Calvin Johnson

Sugar

Terrance Freeman

Court Deputy

Alice Julius-Scott

N.A.A.C.P. Woman

William Truly Jr.

N.A.A.C.P. Man #1

Walter L. Hutchins

N.A.A.C.P. Man #2

Jerry Hunt

John

Howard Ballou

Reporter #1 with Hastings

Todd Demers

Reporter #1 with Jake

Stephanie Strickland

Stephanie (Reporter #1 with Buckley)

Kim Hendrix

Kim (Reporter #2 with Buckley)

Rob Jay

Reporter #3 with Buckley

Sherri Hilton

Reporter #2 with Jake

Steve Coulter

Steve Coulter

Klansman

Jackie Stewart

Fire Chief

Rosebud Dixon-Green

Woman at Rally

Crew

Director

Joel Schumacher

Novel

John Grisham

Screenplay

Akiva Goldsman

Reviews

FilipeManuelNeto

FilipeManuelNeto

June 16, 2023

7

**It's a good movie, but I've seen better courtroom dramas.**

I saw this film not long ago and was very impressed with its quality. I didn't know, however, that it was based on a novel by John Grisham (I've never read it, and I have doubts if it was translated into Portuguese), and based very lightly on the emotional testimony of a young girl victim of rape. It should be noted, moreover, and by mere curiosity, that, in the real case behind the novel, the victim was a white girl and the man accused of having raped her was black. In summary, it's very good, but it's not a perfect film, and it pales in comparison to other much more consistent and effective courtroom dramas.

Joel Schumacher is the director of this movie, and that's really surprising me because his work rarely pleases me. I was able to appreciate the qualities of “Number 23”, the beauty and musicality of “Phantom of the Opera” were able to captivate me, but on the other hand, I hate the two “Batman” films he made, and I felt that “8 mm” is one of those films full of potential that ends up not living up to expectations. And then, this movie. And I'm still wondering whether I should consider the director responsible for the film's biggest weaknesses, or as a redeeming work that shows that, despite the crap, Schumacher had some talent.

The cast is strong. Despite the downward trajectory that his career has taken after his consecration, Matthew McConaughey is in good shape here and gives the public an enjoyable job. It's not the actor's best, it's nothing original, especially if we think about courtroom dramas, but it's effective and it looks credible. Samuel L. Jackson also does a good job, but the character is the most ambiguous in the film, and he can be a villain or a hero depending on our opinion (and the film makes an effort to sell him a hero). Kevin Spacey is good in a highly stereotyped character, and Donald Sutherland gives an air of his grace when the material allows. Less interesting were the appearances of Kiefer Sutherland and Sandra Bullock.

Technically, it's a low-key film, without major visual strokes or effects, which is good as it gives all the necessary space to the story and the actors' performance. It does, however, have good cinematography, a clever use of filming locations and sets, and also good costumes. It's a little long for the story it brings, but that fact doesn't constitute a very serious problem here.

The story has problems that we have to consider. It begins beautifully, presenting the opening incident with shocking colors and tones. The scene where the father kills his daughter's rapists is also incredibly well done, but the rest, and especially the scenes outside the courtroom, are bland. Bullock's character is so expendable that it was preferable that it had never been added: she appears to throw some adulterous romance into the script, but that never goes beyond a succession of flirtations because the main character does not have the nerve to really cheat on his wife. For the rest, she gives him some good ideas, aiding an incompetent lawyer to do a job well done, but that would have been better if it had come from Donald Sutherland, giving him a greater utility and better material.

I had serious problems with the trial of this film, starting with the judge's attempts to focus the facts on the death of the rapists. This would never be acceptable by a real court or a real defense, considering that, after the obvious failure of the transient insanity claims, the defense would have to rely on a clean criminal record, good citizenship and a truckload of extenuating circumstances in order to lighten the penalty to which that man was fatally to be condemned. And the most credible and convincing mitigating factor for a judge or jury would be, exactly, the enormous commotion that the rape would have caused, leading that father to act in a way that would have been impossible under other circumstances. And the insertion of the KKK in the film, not being a problem in itself, only serves to exaggerate a racial problem that is already there and that doesn't need to be exaggerated anymore.

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$40,000,000.00

Revenue:

$152,266,007.00

Keywords

sniper
rape
court
jurors
ku klux klan
mississippi river
forgiveness
blackmail
attempted murder
trial
murder
lawyer
capital punishment
gang rape
racism
courtroom
racial tension
racial issues
courtroom drama
legal drama
legal thriller
black community
avenging father
inspirational
attempted hanging
deep south racism